Gaizka Larrazabal Promoted To The Athletic First Team After Signing Contract Renewal Through 2021

The future of Gaizka Larrazabal has been shrouded in uncertainty over the past few months. At one point it was believed that his contract was set to expire on 30 June and it was no secret that other clubs such as Eibar and Alavés were interested in signing the winger. However, Sporting Director Rafa Alkorta put an end to the worries by revealing that the 21-year-old actually had a clause in his contract for another season and would stay with Athletic.

Despite having the option to automatically renew Larrazabal’s deal, the club wanted the winger to sign a new contract altogether. Athletic see a lot of potential in Larrazabal and believe that he can become an important player for the first team, especially with Markel Susaeta and Sabin Merino leaving this summer. An agreement has finally been reached.

Athletic officially announced on Tuesday that Larrazabal has signed a contract renewal through 2021 and will be promoted to the first team this summer. The details of the new contract were not released, but it’s very likely that the 21-year-old release clause will be somewhere around €40 million like Iñigo Vicente and Unai Vencedor who renewed back in December.

Larrazabal played his best football under Gaizka Garitano who will now give him the chance to earn a place in the squad this summer. Being the son of Athletic legend Aitor Larrazbal, Gaizka has handled the pressure well. He’s featured in 31 games this season, scoring 9 goals while also registering 7 assists. Larrazabal stands out for his strength and speed on the wing, as well as his ability to cross the ball and score goals.